The present invention relates to disposable absorbent undergarments and, more particularly, to undergarments such as pants type diapers, training pants for babies, pants for incontinent users or sanitary panties for disabled women.
It is known, for example, from Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. Hei6-21621 to bond longitudinally opposite ends of a liquid-absorbent auxiliary panel presenting a U-shaped curve to an inner side of a crotch section of disposable absorbent pants. This known type of pants intends to avoid an undesirable excretion leakage by fitting the auxiliary panel tightly against the wearer""s crotch. Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. Hei5-62227 discloses a disposable diaper comprising an elongate elastic retaining member allowing a liquid-absorbent pad provided on a crotch section of the diaper to be fitted tightly against the wearer""s crotch.
A problem with the above-mentioned prior art is that the short pants or diaper are inevitably subjected to a force tending to cause them to slip down when the liquid-absorbent auxiliary panel or the liquid-absorbent pad placed on the retaining member is fitted tightly against the wearer""s crotch. Such slip-down of the short pants or diaper might be avoided by increasing a contracting force generated in an elastic member extending circumferentially around the wearer""s waist, but such a countermeasure will result in exerting an unacceptably high pressure upon the wearer""s belly.
In view of the problem as described above, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improvement in a disposable absorbent undergarment of pants type allowing a liquid-absorbent pad provided on a crotch section of short pants to be fitted tightly against the wearer""s crotch without causing apprehension that the undergarment worn on the wearer""s body might slip down.
The object set forth above is achieved, according to the invention, by a disposable absorbent undergarment comprising short pants and a liquid-absorbent pad, the short pants being defined by a front waist section, a rear waist section and a crotch section interposed between the two waist sections and having a pair of leg-openings and a circumferentially stretchable waist-opening. The liquid-absorbent pad is attached to an inner side of the short pants so as to extend longitudinally from the crotch section into the front and rear waist sections.
The crotch section extending below upper ends of the leg-openings is provided with elastic material which is stretchable at least longitudinally of the crotch section. A circumferential region defined by portions of the front and rear waist sections immediately above the crotch section is provided with elastic material which is circumferentially stretchable. The liquid-absorbent pad comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet, a backsheet and a liquid-absorbent panel disposed between these two sheets with portions of the sheets extending outward beyond longitudinally opposite ends of the panel and being joined to the front and rear waist sections, respectively.